"And other sheep I have, which are not of this
fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my
voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
shepherd." John 10:16
Dear Gary & Doves,
Thank you for your
suggestions. I did reread John 10:16 as well as all of
John 10. I still understand that John 10:16 refers to
Judah & Israel. Israel is identified as God’s
sheep. "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded
them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and
into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go
rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew
10:5-6
I also reread Matthew 24: 29
- 31
29 Immediately after the
tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and
the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken:
30 And then shall appear the
sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of
man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.
31 And he shall send his
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.
There's nothing about the
dead in Christ being resurrected. There is nothing about
where the angels are gathering these people to? There is
nothing about going to heaven in glorified bodies. I think
the context favors the interpretation that these are the
elect that survived the Tribulation and are being gathered
into the earthly kingdom - the Millennium.
In your note to me you said
that "Paul was first to reveal it to the Gentiles."
Actually, Paul was the first to reveal it to both the Jews
& the Gentiles. “…[Paul] is a chosen vessel unto
me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and
the children of Israel…” – Acts 9:15
It is interesting to note
that Paul wrote over half of the books (14 of 27)
post-Malachi with Hebrews being a transitional book (Acts
is also transitional): Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2
Corinthians, Philemon, Galatians, Philippians, 1
Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1
Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus and Hebrews (probably assisted
by Luke).
All the Best,
Mike P.